1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a pod based countermeasure dispensing system for mounting on wide variety of manned aircraft. The pod based system is readily configurable for dispensing different types of infrared countermeasure (IRCM) devices and different types of radio frequency countermeasure (RFCM) devices at a rapid rate. The primary use of the rapidly dispensed IRCMs and RFCMs is to protect the host aircraft while ingress and egress maneuvers are performed in a hostile area. A secondary use of the pod based countermeasure dispensing system is for use in defending commercial aircraft from missile threats.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that a variety of countermeasures are available to provide a defense against a variety of missile types. It is necessary for an aircraft to be configured to deploy a countermeasure that is specific to the missile threat expected to be encountered. Modern missile seeker heads are sensitive to infrared information generated by aircraft engines, fuselage leading edge surfaces or to reflected radar signals. Handheld surface to air missiles designed to attack low flying aircraft are referred to as Manpads and are prolific, effective and come in a number of variants. During the conflict between Russia and Afghanistan it is estimated that the Russian forces lost more than three hundred helicopters and more than one hundred and ten fixed wing aircraft to Manpad systems.
Domestic and foreign military forces using aircraft in low level combat operations have devised a number of systems to deploy both IRCM and RFCM devices. A typical countermeasure system will first use a missile launch detector to alert the aircrew that the aircraft is under attack. The countermeasure system or aircrew will then determine the type of missile that is to be defended against, IR or RF. The aircrew will then have the option of making evasive maneuvers or deploying an appropriate countermeasure.
The survivability rate for this type of attack is highly weighted towards the effective use of countermeasures when compared to the use of evasive maneuvers. Evasive maneuvers are not possible when a troop transport and their escorting aircraft need to ingress to drop troops or cargo and then safely egress. A typical scenario produces ten minutes of vulnerability broken down as an ingress lasting four minutes followed by two minutes on the ground to complete the deployment portion of the mission and then four minutes to safely egress. Defensive coverage against manpads is provided by a flare launched every three seconds. The typical scenario requires dispensing twenty flares per minute for ten minutes which requires two hundred flares.
The United States military has developed and deployed a number of countermeasure systems and has used pods as housings. The pods that have been used to house the countermeasure systems are customized for each dispensing system and then customized to each aircraft type. This has lead to an inventory of pods that are not adaptable to new dispensing systems and are not adaptable to multiple service aircraft. This invention will lead to a reduction in the variety of pods needed to be maintained in the military logistics system because of the commonality in the mechanical and electrical interfaces.
Current countermeasure pod systems are not capable of deploying countermeasure devices at the rate or the quantity necessary to effectively defend against multiple manpad attacks. Currently, there is not a reusable lightweight package that is suitable for mounting on a number of aircraft types which contains all of the components necessary to rapidly deploy IRCM and RFCM devices. A low cost countermeasure dispensing system interfaced to an aircraft's digital countermeasure suite that is easily modified is not currently available. Given the current manpad threat to civilian aviation this invention is suitable for installation on both commercial and private aircraft.